Do you Really Need a Real Estate Agent to Represent You?

Despite the wealth of information at your disposal on the internet, the answer is a resounding "yes". Having a real estate agent greatly simplifies a confusing process filled with negotiation, regulations, laws, and contracts that you may not have the time or knowledge to tackle.

Think of it this way: when you go to an unfamiliar place, you could try to find your way around yourself, but your experience would be more fulfilling if you had a guide—someone who is familiar with the location to lend you their inside knowledge of the area.

Real estate agents are your personal guide through the home buying process. We are more than someone to drive you around from property to property; we will know the answers to all your questions about the local area, including home values, taxes, utility costs, and school information. A good agent also has solid connections to lenders, inspectors, and other services buyers might need to close the deal. An agent may even be knowledgeable about resources pertaining to special interests or needs, and if not, we can quickly gather the information for you.

What does An Agent Do?

The real estate professional you work with will be with you from the initial home search to moving day. We will work diligently on your behalf to find the right home, at the right price and do so in a reasonable timeframe.

Real estate agents are experienced not only in negotiation, but have extensive knowledge about real estate values, new home construction, and finding property for sale that matches your checklist of wants and needs. For buyers, this knowledge can be invaluable during the confusing process of shopping for a home, negotiating offers and navigating through all the details of a sales contract.

Here are some of the many things your real estate agent will handle:

Education: An agent can familiarize you with the processes involved in buying homes or land for sale if you're thinking about building, as well as alert you to potential risks, help you determine how much house you can afford, explain alternative financing strategies, and provide tremendous moral support.

Advocacy: We can help you objectively evaluate an offer then work to negotiate a favorable contract. During the process, we will review the contract and obligations before you sign, explain how contingencies and release clauses work, and more.

Navigating a complex process: Something easy to overlook is the complexity and risks inherent in the process. In the many years that we have been practicing real estate, we are continually amazed at how quickly a seemingly simple transaction can grow legally complex and risky. When complex questions arise, as a real estate professional, I can help you quickly locate licensed professionals whose services you may require, such as attorneys, home inspectors, engineers, surveyors, and lenders.

Process management: An agent can manage the entire transaction, including coordinating inspections, keeping in touch with the other real estate professionals involved, managing the documentation for the loan process, monitoring deadlines associated with contingencies, providing applicable paperwork, estimating closing costs, and helping prepare for a smooth and uneventful closing.